


Like A Friendship Caught On Fire

by afteriwake



Series: Stuff Of Improbable Legends [2]
Category: Sherlock (TV), Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Best Friends, Drabble Collection, Drabble Sequence, Drunk Sex, Drunken Kissing, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Relationships, Eventual marriage, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Inspired by Roleplay/Roleplay Adaptation, Kissing, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Platonic Kissing, Roleplay Logs, kiss meme
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-07
Updated: 2016-03-07
Packaged: 2018-05-25 06:33:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6184396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afteriwake/pseuds/afteriwake
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It took being in three different universes and quite a bit of time to get over his own stupidity, but eventually McCoy realized that one of his best friends was so much more than that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Like A Friendship Caught On Fire

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sideofrawr](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sideofrawr/gifts).



> So this is my answer to the same kiss meme I did for Kirk and Rose, only this time I'm doing it for McCoy and Molly. I swear to all that is holy, it took me two and a half hours to write this, so I hope you all enjoy it. The title comes from a quote from Bruce Lee ("Love is like a friendship caught on fire. In the beginning a flame, very pretty, often hot and fierce, but still only light and flickering. As love grows older, our hearts mature and our love becomes as coals, deep-burning and unquenchable.")

  
**i**  
almost kiss  
_interest/curiosity_   


He had a crush.

He hadn’t had a crush since…well, okay, technically he had a _tiny_ bit of one on Carol. But really, he hadn’t had one like this since his wife. Ex-wife. And he’d married her and look how that had turned out. It would honestly be better to forget this, especially considering who her ex was.

But Molly…well, all things considered, he still had a thing for Molly. A pretty big thing, to be honest.

He wasn’t sure why. The fact she was Khan’s ex probably should have sent him running for the hills. He was prepared to hate her. But the day he met her, he liked her. Then the more he got to know her, the more he liked her. And he liked her a lot, more than he wanted to admit.

And right now he had an urge to just lean over and kiss her. He knew he probably shouldn’t. It would screw things up.

But he still wanted to.

He waited for her to finish talking and leaned in a little more, waiting to see if she noticed, but then she went on another tangent, talking excitedly the way she normally did, and he just nodded, playing off the increased closeness as interest. Not that he _wasn’t_ interested, because he was, but…maybe it wasn’t meant to be.

Maybe it was just better to stay friends, because really, she was a good friend. And it would really be horrible to ruin the friendship by mixing up other emotions in it, by mixing up a romantic relationship in it. Because he could use friends in Lawrence aside from Jim, and Molly would be a good choice. So he’d forget this crush, bury it deep down, and they’d be friends. _Just_ friends. And that would be that.

  
**ii**  
kiss on the knees  
_i want to support you_   


He helped her stumble back into her bedroom. They’d only managed to furnish their own apartment in the complex, and even then it wasn’t much, just the basics. The Star Trek movie had come out the week before and Molly was getting completely shitfaced so she didn’t have to deal with it. He hadn’t even bothered to get a television just so that’d be one less way that she’d be exposed to coverage. She’d dropped a bottle of whiskey in the kitchen and then slipped on the booze, cutting her legs and knees on the glass. He’d gotten her to the bathroom and cleaned and patched her up as best he could and now he was just going to get her ready to sleep it off.

“I’m a mess,” she said, her voice slurred as he guided her to the edge of the bed. She was already in her pajamas, a pair of sleep shorts and a tank top, and all he needed to do was pull down her covers. “Why do you bother?”

“Because you’re my friend,” he said, kneeling down in front of her. “Because I care. I give a damn. I want to make sure you get through this okay.”

“But I don’t deserve it,” she said, looking down.

They’d been through this before. He wasn’t sure she’d actually believe him, but he’d keep telling her until she did. Instead, he leaned forward and kissed the bandage on her right knee before looking up at her. “You know it’s only a few more weeks till the damn film’s out of theaters. So soon enough it’ll all blow over. We’ll get through it, okay?”

She nodded slowly before looking at him. “Okay.”

“Want me to sleep next to you again?” he asked.

“Yes please.”

“All right,” he said.

  
**iii**  
kiss on the cheek  
_platonic love/friendship/attraction_   


It was good to see her out and about. Good to see her functioning like a normal human being again. He had no idea when the actor that was Khan’s facetwin was going to be all over the place again, but he knew there was a little bit of calm for a while until the hype built up for the DVD release of his movie. He vaguely remembered something about a movie coming out and an Oscar nomination but they’d deal with that next year, he thought. He was pretty sure.

Right now, things were calm.

She was at the table, looking at things on a laptop. He brought over a cup of black coffee for him and a cup of coffee with her that had almost a quarter of a cup of flavored creamer. He knew it was going to be a few years until her favorite creamer was back on the market so for now she was dealing with hazelnut. He set it down and then looked over at her screen. “Commercial buildings?”

“Medical facilities,” she said, not looking up. “We have a complex in case anyone else shows up. We should have a clinic, too. I’m looking to see how much it would cost to get bare bones facility and then upgrade it to our standards.”

He grinned at that and then leaned over and kissed her cheek softly. “Best idea you’ve had yet, after the complex.”

“I thought you would like that,” she said, a small smile forming on her face as she reached over for the coffee mug and lifted it up, taking a sip without taking her eyes off the screen. This was a good sign, he realized. She was okay. She was going to be fine. And for that, he was glad.

  
**iv**  
kiss on the stomach  
_sexual attraction/desire_   


He didn’t care if they regretted it in the morning. Right now…right now they didn’t. That was all that mattered at the moment.

They hadn’t gotten completely undressed yet, mostly because they hadn’t been able to keep lips and hands off each other long enough to get the job done. He’d managed to get her on the bed, though, and he was hovering over her, still trying to take in the fact that she was letting him go this far. But he didn’t want to waste time. He figured if she did regret it in the morning, well, he needed to make the most of now. 

He dipped his head down, moved lower and pressed a kiss just below the bra she was still wearing, letting his hands run along her side. She arched up to meet him, and he slowly trailed his way lower, taking his time, nipping at her skin slightly. The soft whimpering coming from her was honest to God the best sound he’d ever heard and he hadn’t even done anything really pleasurable.

“Oh, my,” she said softly, moving her hands to his shoulders when he got to her naval, digging her nails in slightly.

He grinned and lifted his head up. “I haven’t even done anything remotely interesting yet,” he said.

“Are you going to?” she asked, a slightly impish tone in her voice.

He moved a hand up to the waistband of her underwear, running a finger around the lace edging before hooking his finger into it. “We’ll see.”

“I could murder you, you know,” she said. “For torturing me. It’d be justifiable homicide, too. And I’d get away with it.”

“Then I suppose I shouldn’t tease,” he said, and grinning when she lifted up her hips. Tonight was going to be _quite_ interesting…

  
**v**  
kiss over the back of the hand  
_respect/admiration/reverence_   


“We’re pillars of the community, Leonard, or at least I am. And as you and I are more or less joined at the hip here, I’m forcing you to come as my date. So there.”

He wasn’t even mad, to be honest, which he knew was obvious by the amused look on his face. He didn’t _really_ want to go to the charity ball that the local business association was showing, but St. Bartholomew’s Clinic was the highest ranked clinic in the city with both patients and fellow business owners, and he knew a lot of that had to do with Molly. Between her time spent at the coroner’s office and the clinic she was choosy with the events she chose to attend to represent the clinic, but the ones she _did_ go to shone a spotlight on them. So if she decided they needed to go to this ball, then, well, they needed to go.

He shook his head and then pushed himself away from the wall and reached for Molly’s hand. He grasped it lightly and then bowed at the waist before brushing his lips across the back of her hand. He kept his gaze up at her face and could see her roll her eyes but there was still a grin on her face. “Well, tell me what the theme is, darling, and I’ll get a suitable outfit.”

“Fairy tales,” she said.

“Is it just a costume ball or masquerade ball?”

“Just costume, thank God,” she said, removing her hand from his.

“Hmm. Big Bad Wolf and Little Red Riding Hood, maybe?” he suggested. 

She shook her head. “But I was so hopeful you’d be Prince Charming to me being a Princess of some sort.”

He tilted his head, his grin getting wider. “That could have possibilities.”

  
**vi**  
kiss on the knuckles  
_protectiveness_   


He cared about her, she was one of the people he cared about most in the world, and normally he would never say a bad thing about her, but damn it, Molly was insane.

Not about the fact she was in love with him. That…that he wasn’t sure how to deal with, but that wasn’t what was crazy. No, it was the fact she wanted to watch his movies. The fact she wanted to watch _him_ do all the crap he did against everyone, see it with her own two eyes. He just couldn’t believe she wanted to see that psychopath wreak his vengeance against Starfleet. He understood it was her way to move on, but still. It was nuts.

What was worse was he couldn’t believe he was going to sit there and watch it with her.

He’d watched them both once with Jim, in Lawrence, just to know. He wasn’t sure if the others had as well, but he’d watched them. He’d never imagined he’d watch them again under any circumstances, but tonight, here he was, watching Khan shoot up a room of Starfleet officers. He knew it was just going to get worse from there. If she made it to the end of the movie he’d be surprised.

He could feel Molly tense up beside him and he knew he should just stop the DVD, just tell her everything, spare her the pain. Instead, he reached over for her hand, brought her knuckles up to his mouth and brushed his lips across them. Probably not the most appropriate response, but before Carol, that was what he had done when she’d been stressed. And when he could feel her relax, he knew even though it may not have been the appropriate choice it had been the _right_ choice.

  
**vii**  
kiss on the lips  
_romantic love/attraction_   


Kissing her felt right.

It didn’t matter that they had spent so long denying how they felt, shoving it down and pretending that they were just friends. They were great as friends, but there had been more than that ever since that Mardi Gras, even if it had been buried deep down. And now, kissing her here in the clinic, it just felt _right_.

He loved her, he did. He couldn’t deny it anymore. He didn’t want to, either. It had taken a very long time to come to that realization, but he did. He loved Margaret Elizabeth Hooper and he knew now that she still loved him too, that she wasn’t kissing him back the way she was because of magical compulsion. Even though they had dreamed of each other, the feelings behind the dreams were real. There was nothing manipulating them into what was happening now.

And then there was just a _need_. He needed Molly like he needed his next breath. It was Mardi Gras all over again, like those two years were gone in a blink of an eye. Not that they hadn’t happened, that the years hadn’t affected them, but the attraction, the desire…it was still just as strong. She still managed to make his head spin, still managed to flip his world upside down with just a kiss.

And then it was over when John walked in. He should have been angry, but Molly had just laughed, said John had ruined the moment so John could stay and finish the paperwork and he could take her out on a proper Valentine’s Day date. And maybe, if he was lucky, he could come over for coffee when it was over.

He had to admit, this was _definitely_ the type of ending he’d been hoping for.

  
**viii**  
kiss on the neck  
_i want you/you are mine_   


It was an awkward situation, with Carol staying at the apartment and him and Carol not together, so it wasn’t surprising that within a few weeks of dating he and Molly were living together. They’d wasted enough time being apart, and they didn’t want to waste another moment. It made no sense. Near the end of February, though, there’d been the one-two punch of Carol having a doctor’s appointment and a Khan facetwin showing up and it had just kind of seemed to be a bit much. He’d worried, just for a bit, that Molly might pull away. She might push him away, run away again. And he didn’t want that, not at all.

The night at the Royal Sonesta had been nice. The honeymoon suite had been spectacular, the attentive service was nice, and it was a good evening. It was something that made the situation more bearable, made them forget about things for a bit, and the ability to forget about the outside world and just focus on each other for just one night was a good thing. The fact that Molly didn’t pull away from him too much that evening made him feel that they’d persevere. 

Still, there were moments, and when they happened he’d stand behind her, wrap his arms around her waist, pull her back against his chest and press a kiss to her neck and tell her how special she was, how much he cared for her, how much he wanted her, how much he loved her. He told her over and over until she relaxed against him, until she turned in his arms and kissed him back and told him she loved him to, her lips against his, her hands framing his face. And only then did he feel everything would be okay.

  
**ix**  
kiss over the wrist  
_i think you are beautiful/i find you attractive_   


He was cranky from having to babysit a bunch of drunks from Jim’s bachelor party while Jim’s adult son let the groom slink off during the night. Damn it, if Chris was going to watch the drunks, couldn’t he have let him go back so he could spend the night with Molly? He’d had a crap night not sleeping next to her and he’d shown up back at Jim’s house in a very bad mood.

But it had all seemed to melt away when he was finally at the altar, standing by Jim’s side, watching Molly come towards where they were standing in her bridesmaid dress. He always thought she was gorgeous but today she looked stunning. She looked like a damn goddess in the one shouldered blue dress. He knew there was a joke that bridesmaid dresses sucked but really, this one looked good on her.

When the ceremony was all said and done and Jim was off the market and the speeches were all done, it was time to do the dancing. He knew there were probably other people who were going to want a dance but damn if he wasn’t getting the first one. He led her to the dance floor and then pulled her wrist up to his mouth, kissing it. “What was that for?” she asked before he pulled her in to dance.

“It’s a sign to show I’m dancing with the most beautiful woman on the island,” he said, putting his other hand on her waist before starting to take her around the floor.

“You really think so?” she asked, giving him a wide, bright smile.

He nodded, grinning. “Damn straight.”

“Good thing I’m with the most handsome man on the island, then” she said, moving closer to him, and he grinned at that.

  
**x**  
kiss on the palm of the hand  
_i am yours/i know you have me_   


He didn’t want to admit that it hurt when Carol had been taken back. He was happy with Molly, but Carol being taken meant his unborn daughter was gone, and that hurt, even if he didn’t show it. And seeing all the next gen kids had been just a stab in the gut. Even being around Kenzi, who he could begrudgingly admit had kind of stolen his heart, was just too much. He needed solitude again. He needed to get the hell away.

So Molly suggested her island. And it worked wonders. But eventually they had to go home. To _their_ cabin, she said.

When he went back to the apartment she made sure she was there with him, staying close in case he needed her. When the last of his things from the apartment were moved over, she pulled him next to her on the sofa and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “We’re going to stay here for a while before we start working on clearing out the stuff from your apartment in San Francisco and the stuff on the Enterprise,” she said.

“Doctor’s orders?” he asked, trying for a light tone and not quite succeeding.

“Doctor’s orders,” she said.

He pulled her other hand towards him and kissed her palm, and when he was done she moved her hand to his face and caressed his cheek. “You’re too good to me.”

“You took care of me, when we got here and landed in the middle of Star Trek mania,” she said. “And now I’m going to take care of you.” He shifted to look at her. “I love you, Leonard. Taking care of you is what I’m supposed to do.”

“Good,” he said with a nod before going back to his position and settling against her again.

  
**xi**  
kiss on the feet  
_fealty/loyalty/servitude/submission_   


“Oh, my feet ache,” Molly said as she came into the kitchen.

“I _might_ be convinced to give you a foot massage,” McCoy said, watching her move. She was moving gingerly and he used the wooden spoon he was stirring the spaghetti sauce with to point to the living room. "Go sit down. I’ll be there in a few.”

She nodded and then shuffled back out. He turned off the heat under the sauce, checked the water for the pasta and saw it hadn’t started boiling yet. He had about twenty or so minutes till he needed to come back into the kitchen, give or take. He made his way out to Molly and then lifted her feet up, setting them on her lap. She had already taken her socks and shoes off and he began to knead her one of feet, and she gave a soft moan. “Oh, that feels so good,” she murmured.

“Yeah?” he said with a grin.

“Yes,” she replied. 

He ducked his head down slightly and kissed the top of her foot. “Is there anything else that needs a massage?”

“My back could use one,” she said. “And my neck and shoulders.”

“I'm willing to do whatever you need to feel better. I mean, I could give you a full body massage,” he said, going back to kneading the sole of her foot. “Or maybe go sit in the hot tub after dinner and I could join you?”

“I don’t mind waiting for dinner for the hot tub,” she said. “Especially if it’s swimming costume optional.”

His grin got wider and he shook his head. “You, Molly, are a minx. Let me go turn off the heat under the water and then I’ll go meet you out by the hot tub, okay?”

“Okay,” she said.

  
**xii**  
kiss over the heart  
_i am connected to you_   


Surprisingly, it was May 5th, 2016 and he'd gotten married again.

He’d hadn’t even finished proposing after meeting her at the jazz club before she’d said yes. All he’d done was get down on one knee and she’d said yes, but one thing led to another and the next thing they knew they were taking a week’s vacation and she’d teleported them to Hawaii and they’d gotten married two hours after he’d slipped the ring on her finger. Now she was officially Margaret Elizabeth McCoy.

They’d probably catch all sorts of hell when they got back to New Orleans. They wouldn’t be the first to elope; Alicia and Stefan had literally done it almost exactly two months. But he didn’t care. What was the point in waiting? They’d wasted all that time just being friends, ignoring that there could have been something more. He’d almost thrown it all away over her psychopathic ex and a stupid kiss she didn’t return. He loved her, she loved him. Why wait?

And now they were dozing in their honeymoon suite at Turtle Bay. Molly had tried to stay awake as long as she could, savor every moment, but even she needed rest. He was simply content to be close. She wasn’t quite asleep yet, just on the verge, and so he leaned over and pressed a kiss to her bare chest above the sheet that was covering it, just over her heart. “I love you, Molly,” he murmured before gathering her in his arms.

She shifted and rested her head on his chest, putting her arm around his waist. “Love you too, Leonard,” she murmured, tilting her head slightly to press a kiss over his heart in return. He settled in and shut his eyes, attempting to rest. Life…life was perfect now.

  
**xiii**  
kiss on the nose  
_you make me happy_   


He didn’t want to admit it, but he’d become a sap. Molly had turned him into a sap. He couldn’t even tease Jim about Rose doing it to him because it had turned around and happened to him. At least his best friend wasn’t giving him grief for it. Thank God for small favors.

Jim had decided he was going to carry on the tradition of a big Fourth of July festival at the Youth Center and Molly had roped him into going to the one held at the original Youth Center that Rose had wished to show up from Lawrence. There were carnival games and a small area with carnival rides, and the kind of foods you find at small circuses, and there was a section where various local nonprofit organizations could promote themselves to the public. It was actually pretty nice. Jim had really found his calling, he realized.

Molly had talked him into going on the Ferris wheel they had up. He’d argued it looked sketchy but she promised if he did she’d do whatever he wanted that evening, no limitations. That was enough for him. They made it up to the top and then the operator said it was stuck. He groaned and Molly just laughed.

“Knew that would happen,” he grumbled.

“At least we have the best view,” she said, giving him a wide smile. She snuggled a little closer. “And you have the best company, you know.”

He looked over at her and then leaned in and kissed his wife’s nose. She laughed and then snuggled in next to him. “Yeah, I do, don’t I?” he said, putting an arm around her shoulders. If they were going to be stuck for a bit, at least he was stuck with her. That made it bearable.


End file.
